


Dreams

by Fai_Gensou



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: kid!dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-02-17 09:00:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13073559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fai_Gensou/pseuds/Fai_Gensou
Summary: Not gonna lie, this is me playing with the dark dragon and the happy hungry bunch (minus Yun) as kids. With vague plot justification.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hak where are we?” Four year old Yona asked her friend Hak, who was six.

“I dunno…” He answered, looking around.

It was a meadow full of flowers, gently sloping down. A thatched roof hut sat at the top of the hill, a dirt road in front of it, stretching beyond the horizon, much like the meadow. “Either way, I’m blaming you.” He informed her.

“Why?!” She yelled, indignant.

“You’re the one who has to sleep on top of me! Every time I visit!” In truth, he didn’t mind very much; it was just so hard to get out when he had to pee in the middle of the night.

“I sleep better…when you’re at the castle, if you’re my pillow.” She admitted, looking away with pink cheeks. “And Uncle doesn’t like it very much when Su-won’s with me. Aunt can get away with it when he’s on campaign, but not when he’s home.”

“Why DOES he not like it?” Hak questioned, baffled. “He’s fine when I’m with him…”

“…I wasn’t supposed to hear, but the priests are saying my hair marks the return of Hiryuu-ou. He hates the priests, and doesn’t like the birth myth…” She hugged herself. “He told Mother to keep me away from Su-won, cuz I’m a ‘mongrel bastard’, whatever that is.”

“I know mixed breed dogs are sometimes called mongrels, but that’s only when they’re really ugly, which you’re not.” Hak said. “Can’t you ask Cheonsa-sama? Or Il-sama?”

“They didn’t know I was awake. And Mother said ‘bastard’ is a bad word, when Father got angry and said it one time. He had to sleep on the floor for a week.” Yona answered. “I don’t wanna sleep on the floor…”

“She’s kinda scary at times. Gramps doesn’t cross her.” He commented, before catching sight of something white. “What’s that?” He pointed at the white shape, which turned into a kid somewhat older than him as it drew closer.

Her face lit up. “HAKU-CHAN!” She screamed, taking off towards the boy.

“Hey!” Hak ran after her, not trusting the new kid at all.

Kija marveled at the scenery, so different from his mountain home. He knew not everywhere was mountains, but he never thought he’d see it for himself, no matter how much he longed for the master that never came for his father.

“HAKU-CHAN!!” A small girl tackled him in a hug, sending both of them to the ground.

His vision filled with red as she rubbed her head on his chest. “Feel like my old Haku-chan.” She said as she looked up, revealing purple eyes.

Hak felt strange once he caught up to Yona, on top of the white kid. He wanted to pull her off of him and beat him up and use him for archery practice. “Yona, let the kid up.” He ordered gruffly, noting how weird the kid’s right hand was as she did.

“What’s with the hand?” He had to ask. It looked more like a dragon’s claw than a human hand.

The kid blinked, confused. “It’s the Dragon’s Arm of Hakuryuu, which protected Hiryuu-ou-sama. Every generation in my village someone is born with the Dragon’s Arm, waiting for when he needs us again. Don’t they tell the story outside the mountains?”

“For real?” Hak leaned down to look at the hand more closely. “For a mythical power, it seems a little underwhelming.”

“’Underwhelming’?” The white kid’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “It’s a divine power! How is that underwhelming?!” He stood, and unfortunately was a head taller than Hak, so he couldn’t toss him like he wanted too.

“Hak, Haku-chan, play nice!” Yona commanded with a frown.

Scowling, they did as ordered. “No way am I calling you Haku-chan.” Hak grumbled. “My name’s Hak; what’s yours?”

“Kija.” Was the answer, somewhat short in tone. “Where is this? I was in bed in my village in the mountains…”

“No clue. We found ourselves here, and we had been in bed too.” Hak answered. He frowned as Yona took off running again. “Yona wait up!”

“Gotta find Sei-chan and Ryoku-chan!” She yelled back as Hak and Kija followed. “Then Ou-chan!”

Hak could only share a baffled look with Kija. “’Sei-chan’ and ‘Ryoku-chan and Ou-chan’?” He asked.

“Maybe Seiryuu, Ryokuryuu, and Ouryuu?” Kija proposed tentatively, Yona improbably far ahead of them.

The boy known as Seiryuu wasn’t sure where he was. It looked like the fields that surrounded where the village had once been, but much prettier. The last thing he remembered was shivering inside his blanket cocoon.

A flash of red caught his eye, and he tilted his head as a small girl reached him far faster than he expected. She beamed in his direction, and he had to look around before he realized she was beaming at *him*. He couldn’t stop his flinch when her hand reached for his mask.

“Sei-chan…” She said mournfully, and grabbed his hand instead. “I hope one day…you’ll be able to look freely at the world without fear.” The almost blinding smile dimmed to a gentler one.

Hak and Kija came running up. “Yona you shouldn’t run off like that, we don’t know if there’s anything dangerous here.” Hak scolded her, Kija nodding next to him.

She looked at them baffled. “Why would there be anything bad here? You’re here and soon all my dragons will be here.”

“…dragons?” Seiryuu couldn’t help asking, shrinking back a little when Hak and Kija focused on him.

Kija sparkled at the chance to recount the sacred history of the Four Dragon Warriors, and started talking immediately. Poor Seiryuu was quickly lost, head tilted as he watched Kija act out some part of the story.

Hak edged up to him and whispered, “The founder of Kouka was supposed to have been a dragon god who became human. When people tried to kill him, and he stopped the other dragon gods from killing everyone, they gave four warriors powers to protect him. The powers were an arm as strong as ten men, eyes that saw all, a leg to reach the Heavens, and an invulnerable body. After he died, the warriors split up, and apparently founded clans to pass down the power until Hiryuu-ou (the founder) came back.” He eyed Kija, who appeared to be trying to be two people fighting each other. “Just nod at the right times.”

Yona wandered over to the hut, spotting green on the roof. Jaeha couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten from Captain Gi-gan’s ship to some meadow. “Maybe I shouldn’t have snuck some sips of her sake…” He mused.

Scowling as he spotted blue and white, he leapt onto the roof of the hut, laying down on it. One thing he’d quickly learned once he was free was that no one ever looks up. “Great, the others are little kids.” He muttered, frowning when a stone hit his back.

Turning, he saw a little red-haired girl, squinting up at him with her hands on her hips. “Ryoku-chan, we don’t bite. So come down or I’ll find a way up.” She threatened.

She failed to come across as anything other than adorable. With an internal sigh, Jaeha leapt back down. She hugged on his leg briefly before running around to the front of the hut, which was open. He debated leaping back onto the roof when he spotted Hakuryuu and Seiryuu coming over, with a dark-haired kid, but he didn’t want the cute girl trying to follow him up and getting hurt. “Where are we?” He asked the others as they approached.

“No clue. All of us had been in bed before we found ourselves here.” Hak told the older kid. “I’m Hak, that’s Yona—“ Pointing to her as she entered the hut. “—and this is Kija and…ah, what’s your name?” He sheepishly asked Seiryuu.

The blue-haired boy tilted his head, apparently confused. “…just called Seiryuu. Names are…for those who aren’t cursed…”

Kija found himself struggling to keep his arm normal-sized, and Jaeha found his cozy illusion of the other dragons happily enslaved and pampered shattered, much to his discomfort. Hak just stared at him, baffled. “You don’t look dangerous enough to be cursed.” He told the kid bluntly.

Zeno opened his eyes to a hut much like the one where he’d been briefly happy with Kaya. He had gotten an ‘apprenticeship’ to a tailor in Kuuto, unable to stay too from the reborn Hiryuu just as much as he couldn’t bring himself to sneak into the castle for a look.

(It was an apprenticeship in name only; the master tailor was going blind from cataracts and needed someone to do the actual sewing that his vision was too faded to do.)

Turning his head, he saw Hiryuu, smiling sadly. “Ou…sama…”

Reaching his hand out, the hand that met his was tiny, and the vision of Hiryuu changed to a small girl, dressed in nightclothes, red hair gleaming bright. She had the same sad smile Hiryuu had worn. “Zeno…” She squeezed as much of his hand she could fit in hers. “When this life is over…you’re coming with me. Then you can be with everyone—your brothers, your nephews, and me and him and your sun.”

The sad smile brightened, and she started pulling on his hand to get him up. “C’mon Ou-chan! You gotta come play!”

Smiling himself, Zeno let himself be dragged outside.

“Everyone’s here!” Yona cheered once she was back outside with Zeno.

“…I’m still trying to process that the Dragon Warriors are real.” Hak admitted, glancing between the frankly strange bunch of people. “Never mind why *I’m* here too…”

“You’re Ankouku-chan! Or you will be; it gets mixed up.” She told him. “So you’re like an honorary member. And I fell asleep on top of you.”

“You’re sleeping with her?!” Kija screeched.

“We’re kids! You try saying no to her puppy eyes!” Hak yelled back. “And it only happened when Gramps drags me with him!”

Yona hit both boys on the chin. “Play nice!” She scolded, adorably serious.

“…can I wake up now?” Jaeha half-whined.

“And miss the fun?” The blond-haired Ouryuu asked with a grin.

“Fun would be never meeting any of you.” Jaeha answered, watching the younger ones. Yona had sat down with Seiryuu to make flower crowns, while Kija and Hak sat on either side of Yona, glaring over her head. “They’re a bunch of brats. And Hakuryuu is just slavishly following a blood curse.”

“Part of it the all the longing of his predecessors; they haunt every Hakuryuu, and while he’s strong enough to not be consumed by them, he’s still influenced a little by them.” The blond’s eyes turned nostalgic. “Hakuryuu Village has never been uprooted either, like Ryokuryuu Village or Seiryuu Village.”

“What about yours?” Jaeha asked, curious.

“Ouryuu is terrible at villages, so there’s never been one. Just endless traveling.” His eyes closed off. “It’s just Zeno.”

“Isn’t it a little childish to say your own name?”

“If Zeno doesn’t say his name to himself, then no one will, and he’ll forget it.” Was the answer Jaeha received, and he felt a little guilty for asking.

Kija and Hak had given on glaring, and were competing with each other over bringing different flowers to Yona. She managed the truce by using from each of their piles equally. Seiryuu proved really good at weaving crowns. It was hard to tell with the mask, but he seemed in awe of her. “Sei-chan needs a name of his own.” She declared, as Zeno hauled a reluctant Jaeha to where they were sitting. “Anything you want to be called?” She asked.

Behind the mask, Seiryuu blinked. “…I…don’t know…”

All these people were strange, and he didn’t want to wake up. “…whatever…you want to call me…is fine…”

“You’re bright like Ou-chan, but softer…calmer…moonlight…Shin-ah?” She suggested. “Cuz you’re my moonlight, like Ou-chan is my sun, and it means moonlight.”

The newly-named Shin-ah found himself smiling, something he didn’t recall doing a lot of. “Shin-ah.” He repeated quietly to himself.

“Great if this gets any more adorable my teeth will fall out…” Jaeha complained, suddenly finding himself with a lapful of small girl, who placed a lopsided flower crown on his head. “If you keep complaining I’m gonna get the others and bury you under us.” She told him in all seriousness.

“Dragon pile!!!” Zeno cheered, Yona copying him as he flung his arms in the air.

Worn out from their flower gathering duel, Hak and Kija found themselves leaning on each other. “He IS older than us, right? Cuz he’s acting like a kid younger than us.” Hak asked.

“He feels older, but it’s hard to tell by looking at him.” Kija replied. “I feel like I’ve seen him some time before…”

“Here?”

“No…it was early morning…the day the red star appeared in the sky…” He furrowed his brow as he thought back. “Some of the villagers was saying that the red star meant Hiryuu-ou-sama had been reborn, but we won’t know until he comes for me.”

“Huh? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Hak asked confused.

Kija was okay to talk to if Yona, who was begging Jaeha to take her and Seiryuu ‘flying’, wasn’t in the picture.

“My village has kept the power of Hakuryuu safe since days of myth waiting for his return. But since we don’t know when that is, it’s better to stay put.” He answered.

“Are Hakuryuu-chan and mister having a serious talk?” Zeno, left on the ground when Jaeha gave into Yona’s pleading, wandered over to the boys.

“Why are you calling me mister? You’re way older than me, right?” Hak asked.

“Mister is too serious looking to be a lad!” The weird blond guy declared.

“Didn’t you come visit me a few years ago?” Kija asked, eager looking. “Why didn’t you say anything? Tradition says that the first Hakuryuu went to his tomb waiting for a visit from the first Ouryuu.”

“Ouryuu has tried visiting, but he gets shot at, so stopped trying. Zeno came in secret that day when the red star descended.” ‘Zeno’ answered. “Visited Seiryuu-chan and Ryokuryuu-chan too.”

“Then why didn’t you help me?!” Jaeha landed with a roar.

Shin-ah and Yona leapt off his back as he kicked Zeno with his dragon leg. Zeno caught his leg. “Would you really have accepted being saved by one of the other dragons?” Zeno’s eyes were hard, and suddenly Hak didn’t have any trouble believing Zeno was a lot older than him.

Jaeha couldn’t help deflating a little. He didn’t know if he would have let one of the other dragons save him. Zeno dropped the dragon leg, and Jaeha found himself on the ground, not expecting such an action. “I’m always traveling. The way Ouryuu’s power works, when it triggers…it’s not one that lends itself to a peaceful existence. I have no strength of my own, and at times, it’s been easier to just take whatever others decide to do than to defend myself. It’s not a stable existence, and not one for a child. Seiryuu Village has forgotten their heritage, and Hakuryuu Village is hostile to outsiders.” Zeno looked away at some far off point of the endless field, while Yona hugged his leg. “Do I regret it? At times. Am I sorry for it? I don’t know.” He admitted, absently picking Yona up to balance on his hip, and she clung to him like a monkey.

“Way to wreck the mood, Droopy Eyes.” Hak deadpanned. “If she starts crying I’m kicking you.”

“No fighting! No angry fighting!” She ordered, watery eyed but somehow keeping it in.

“…isn’t…all fighting…angry?” Shin-ah fought not to shrink back as everyone looked at him.

“When you’re training it’s not angry fighting. It’s only angry fighting if you’re trying to kill each other.” Hak answered.

Shin-ah tilted his head in slight confusion but accepted the explanation. “So now what? I guess we’re all dreaming, so do we just wake up?” Jaeha asked.

“Don’t wanna wake up…” Yona said, sounding half asleep. “Don’t know when I’ll see everyone again…”

Catching herself drifting off, she jolted. “Ou-chan, you need to come visit everyone. In the real world, not the in-between place.” She informed Zeno sternly.

Well, she tried for ‘stern’ and just hit ‘adorable’.

“Alright.” Zeno agreed with a half smile.

“For real, don’t make everyone wait twenty years.” She scolded.

“Zeno won’t, Miss!”

She patted the top of his head. “Good Ou-chan.”

Wiggling down, she ran to Jaeha, hugging on both his legs. “Ryoku-chan, try and be happy, okay? You can’t change being a dragon, but you can change how you think of it. My first Ryoku-chan didn’t like it a lot either. And your village is stupid to try chains of iron.” She told him. “Only chains willingly crafted of affection can ever hold you.”

The newly named Shin-ah was next. “Do like Ou-chan and say your name to yourself at times. I hope I can see your eyes one day. My first Sei-chan hid them away after being hurt, so maybe you can show yours when you’re healed.” It was hard to tell with the mask, but Shin-ah was completely red-faced. He never had anyone cling to him the way Yona did.

“Haku-chan!” Leaping on Kija again, they went down on the ground once more. “Find stuff outside the dragons and waiting. That’s why all your predecessors cling to you; they went crazy waiting.”

“Should you really treat this like good-bye?” Hak asked. “I mean, this crazy dream is bound to repeat, right?”

“Just because it might doesn’t mean it will, and then we won’t see each other until we’re all grown up in the real world. Well, everyone but Ou-chan is grown up.” She complained, latching onto his arm.

“Why did this happen, anyway? Zeno never saw the other dragons in dreams before.” Zeno commented.

Yona just smiled, and an image of Hiryuu overlaid hers. “Tonight is the anniversary, of my brothers descending. This is the first year where everyone is old enough to understand what’s happening.”

* * *

Hak jolted awake, Yona still fast asleep on his chest. “That was one crazy dream…” He whispered to the night. “Not like the Dragon Warriors were ever real…”

Falling back asleep, he missed Yona’s eyes opening. “Silly Ankouku-chan, of course they’re real. One day you’ll join them…”


	2. Chapter 2

“Ou-chan, when I said to come visit in the real world, I didn’t mean sneak in in the middle of the night and leave a gift!” Yona scolded Zeno in the field, an adorable scowl on her face.

“Zeno does have a job, so he’s busy all day!” Zeno protested, tickling Yona until her giggles erased the scowl, no matter how cute is was. “Besides, Zeno wasn’t sure if you’ll know who he was while awake, so that’s why he didn’t wake you up.”

She just stared at him like he was an idiot. “Silly Zeno-Ou-chan, of course I’ll know who you are. Even if I don’t know your name in the waking world, I’d still feel your brightness and know you’ll never hurt me.”

She pushed at his chest. Getting the hint, he laid down, letting her curl up on his chest. “Dragon pile!” She cheered

Jaeha opened his eyes to an unfortunately familiar field. Before he could do anything, a leg hooked around his and knocked him down, before a hand grabbed his tunic and he was face to face with the crimson-haired girl from the last dream. He thought the one kid said her name was Yona. “Is this really necessary?” He asked with a scowl when he realized he was on top of Ouryuu.

She looked sheepish. “Sorry Ryoku-chan, I cheered ‘dragon pile’ when I laid down on Ou-chan. I didn’t think you’d be grabbed in too.”

Looking at the embarrassed look on her face, Jaeha couldn’t really be angry. “…it’s fine…” He mumbled, looking away with a faint blush for some reason.

Next to appear was Seiryuu/Shin-ah. “Shin-ah-Sei-chan!” Yona cheered, pulling him down to join her, Zeno, and Jaeha. “Have you been saying your new name to yourself like Ou-chan does with his?” She asked eagerly.

Turning red under his mask, Shin-ah nodded. “…say it in my head. They might think I’m going crazy if I speak out loud.”

She patted his head with a proud smile, making Shin-ah blush even harder, turning his ears pink. Jaeha found himself sharing a look with Ouryuu over the exchange. Ouryuu just beamed, and Jaeha rolled his eyes. The idea of Ouryuu knowing of his situation and leaving him there was still a prickly issue, even if the guy had valid points. _I guess with an invulnerable body, it really would be easier to just let people beat you up instead of fighting back…_

Kija then appeared, next to Jaeha, already lying down. “Huh?” He said with a blink when he realized where he was. “Wasn’t expecting this.”

“Haku-chan!” Yona greeted him. “I proclaimed a dragon pile when I laid down on Ou-chan, and that dragged everyone else in too.”

Hak suddenly appeared next to Shin-ah. “What the—I’m in Fuuga! Weird stuff isn’t supposed to happen at home!” He complained.

“I called a dragon pile with Ou-chan and that dragged everyone else in.” Yona explained yet again.

With everyone around her, Yona felt the low rumble of a happy dragon inside of her. “He was an idiot, not insisting on this. But my first Ryoku-chan and Sei-chan would have fought too much for it to work.”

Zeno laughed. “Too true! They didn’t get along until after…” He trailed off, eyes closing off in sorrow.

Yona lightly smacked his chest. “Stop that. I’m here now, with your nephews, so face forward.”

“’Nephews’?” Jaeha questioned with a grimace. “So he’s the crazy uncle?”

“Why would we be Ouryuu’s nephews? Aren’t the dragons all brothers?” Kija questioned.

Shin-ah said nothing, but radiated quiet curiosity nonetheless while Hak felt like he was along for the ride, in a fashion.

With a fond smile, Zeno wriggled an arm free and tapped Kija’s nose. “There’s only ever been one Ouryuu; me. So all of you are my brothers’ children, and one day you’ll be my brothers in arms.”

“You’re looking pretty good for an ancient guy.” Hak commented, making Zeno half-pout, half-scowl at being called ‘ancient’.

“That…was easier than I thought.” Yona admitted. “Whether or not they’ll remember that tidbit in the waking world when I can finally bring you together is another story.”

“No wonder my village could never find Ouryuu Village!” Kija exclaimed. “There’s never been one, has there?”

“Nope. Zeno never had children, since his wife was too ill to carry.”

“You were *married*?!” Jaeha and Hak exclaimed together, giving each other dirty looks when they realized they had spoken at the same time.

“What? If one lives long enough, then getting married is perfectly normal.” Zeno protested, amused by their shock.

“Hold it, your village knows where mine is?” Jaeha asked Kija. _If another dragon knows about how Ryokuryuu are treated…_

“We know it’s on the Earth/Water border, but nothing more than that. My village is in the mountains in Fire along the Kai Empire border. Seiryuu village had been in Earth, but it vanished a few years ago. Though since Sei—Shin-ah—is still alive, they must have moved for some reason.” Kija replied.

“I get why the dragons went their separate ways after Hiryuu-ou died, but why didn’t they keep contact among each other?” Hak asked, baffled. “Especially since it seems like Ryokuryuu and Seiryuu villages aren’t very nice to their dragons.”

Everyone looked at Zeno expectantly. “Don’t look at Zeno for answers! He doesn’t know why his brothers didn’t keep contact with each other.”

“But why didn’t you visit my ancestor?” Kija asked, curious. “Or the other two?”

Yona hugged Zeno harder as he looked away, eyes closed off. “…Ou-sama never let me fight with the others, after I demonstrated the first inklings of what Ouryuu’s power was. While practically all of what I’ve learned about my power came after they had long turned to bones, I had already suspected that this body would never change. I never visited because I was too scared, to see with my own eyes how old the others had become. I visited in secret once, near the beginning, wondering why I could still feel Hakuryuu when I had clearly felt him die. That’s when I learned the power was inheritable. My wife had been too ill to have children, so I don’t know if the only reason I’ve lived this long is because I never sired an heir to replace me. Then again, I never had the same urge for a family like the others, even Ryokuryuu, for all the free spirit he claimed to be.”

“Ou-chan…” Yona whispered mournfully, the others shifting uncomfortably.

Finally Shin-ah spoke. “…what were they like? The first ones.”

“The first Seiryuu was named Abi. He had been the third surviving son of a nobleman who studied medicine. He spent so much time outside the notice of his father that he was able to set up an intelligence network under his nose.” Zeno began.

“That’s how they met; past-me and Abi-Sei-chan. He wanted advice is setting up his own network, but after everything happened, Abi-Sei-chan just set it up himself.” Yona chimed in.

“He was kidnapped by people after the dragon’s power after Ou-sama died. I don’t know what happened before he was rescued, but he started covering his eyes after that. Might be the start of masking the Seiryuu.” Zeno continued. “The first Ryokuryuu was named Shuten. He was an escaped slave who became a mercenary. He and Abi didn’t get along very well. The first Hakuryuu was Guen, and he had already been serving Ou-sama before everything happened.”

“What about you? What had you been doing?” Hak asked, as curious about Zeno as he was about the others.

“Zeno?” Ha laughed. “I was just a brat who could hear the gods a little.”

“You shouldn’t downplay it Ou-chan.” Yona said with a frown. “Your connection to the gods was extremely strong; that’s why Yellow Brother picked you, even though you weren’t a fighter. And you looked after the local orphans.”

“Wait, if Shuten had been an escaped slave, why would he agree to drink the dragon’s blood?” Jaeha questioned.

Zeno shrugged. “We never talked about it, our reasons for accepting.” He answered, making Jaeha pout.

“Maybe next time I can see if I can get my first ones to come and join us. Then you can ask him yourself.” Yona suggested with a grin.

 _Why do I keep blushing when she smiles at me?! She’s just a little kid!_ Jaeha shifted uncomfortably, while Hak’s eyes narrowed.

“Has Zeno visited you yet Yona-sama?” Kija asked. “I haven’t seen him yet.”

Yona scowled. “He visited, but he came at night and didn’t wake me up! I only knew he had been there because I had a new stuffed animal!”

“Zeno told you, he has a job! He’s the only help the old tailor has, so it’s not like he can skip work during the day or travel farther than the castle and back!” He protested. “At least Zeno left a sign he’d been there, in case you did remember the dreams when you were awake!”

“So what kind of stuffed animal did you get?” Hak asked, while Shin-ah asked “What’s a stuffed animal?” at nearly the same time.

“I got a crimson dragon that looks like dragon-me had.” Furrowing her brow in thought, an image of Zeno’s gift appeared. “This is what a stuffed animal looks like Shin-ah-Sei-chan.”

“…soft…” Shin-ah marveled at the texture of the cloth.

Yona turned to Zeno with an expectant look. “Fine! Zeno will see about getting time off to visit Shin-ah-Seiryuu-chan once he makes a blue stuffed dragon!” Zeno agreed, with mock frustration over giving in so easily.

“But how will you find me?” Shin-ah asked quietly. “The village moved from plains into ruins in the mountains. I tried looking for everyone, but my eyes can’t see that far with the mask on, and I can’t take it off again…” He trailed off into a mumble.

“The dragon warriors can feel each other, in terms of colors that match our dragons. But yellow always flickers on and off.” Kija explained gently, casting a suspicious look at Zeno, who just blinked innocently.

“Why can’t you take the mask off to look farther? Because you’re ‘cursed’ or whatnot?” Hak asked. “I’d sooner believe Droopy Eyes was cursed before you.”

“…Ao would keep the bandits away, and made sure I knew how to do it when he was gone. But he died, and there were soldiers coming after the village because one got away. His sword was too big for me, so…” Shin-ah hunched down, trying to merge himself with Zeno’s body. “…I promised Ao I wouldn’t use them, but there was no other way to save them…”

Yona climbed off Zeno and tugged the others back enough for Zeno to sit up, crawling Shin-ah between his legs. She latched onto Shin-ah, and everyone else joined the group hug.

Even Jaeha, although he’d protest and say that he was just leaning on the others and it was more comfortable to rest his arms on the others.

Somehow, Zeno was able to shift the mask up enough for Shin-ah to bury his face in his clothes, rubbing his face on cloth worn soft through wear. Yona huddled on his back, arms around his torso. “It is really scary, what the Dragon’s Eyes can do. Even more so when it snaps back onto you, and if you don’t have someone you trust to keep you safe. It’s spent so long masked and contained that it overwhelms the user.” She whispered, her own silent tears soaking his back.

Exchanging vaguely uncomfortable looks, Kija, Jaeha, and Hak backed away. “I thought the other dragons were all happy and pampered and enslaved. Not…that.” Jaeha said awkwardly.

“I thought the other villages treated the dragons like mine does. I couldn’t imagine someone seeing the power as a curse. I still really can’t.” Kija admitted, uncomfortable to realize that for his dragon brothers (and one sort-of uncle), being a dragon warrior wasn’t something they likely took pride in. Jaeha scorned it, Shin-ah hadn’t even known about them and thought it was some curse afflicting his village and clan, and Zeno probably saw it as a burden.

Hak just eyed them, not sure what to say. “So what are you gonna do about it?” He challenged them. “I mean, he—“ gesturing to Kija, “—is stuck in his village, but you’re free to go wherever, right?” He questioned Jaeha.

“Hey, I got taken in by a pirate crew because I could be useful. Not sure the Captain would accept another stray, especially a little kid. He’s probably on the other side of the kingdom from me!” Jaeha protested. “And what’s to say he’d want to leave? For whatever reason, he seems to actually want to protect his village, despite how they treat him. Me, on the other hand, would cheerfully watch mine burn.”

Kija bit his lip, fighting the urge to scold Jaeha for his words. He wanted to ask just how he was treated before he got away, but things were dark enough, and he remembered how Jaeha had gone off on Zeno last time, when he mentioned visiting all of them.

Hak didn’t look very impressed. “I’d say the fact you’re upset about the way his life has been means you care more about the other dragons than you want to admit.” He retorted flatly.

While this was going on between the three boys, Yona rubbed Shin-ah’s back. “When Zeno brings the stuffed dragon to you, do you want him to bring you back to Kuuto? Or he could take you to where Hak lives, in the Wind Tribe’s capital Fuuga. Mundok, his grandpa loves kids.” She asked gently.

Shin-ah pulled back, rubbing at his eyes before pulling his mask back down. “…I dunno…who will keep the village safe? Isn’t…isn’t that what I’m supposed to do, since they have to deal with a curse?”

“I’ll bring a map with me, and show you how to get to Kuuto and Fuuga from wherever you are. So even if you don’t come with me, you have a way out and places to go.” Zeno proposed, receiving a tentative nod from Shin-ah.

Yona, leaping to her feet, ran over to where Kija, Jaeha, and Hak were standing, Hak and Jaeha glaring at each other and Kija looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know what. “Hak, Shin-ah-Sei-chan might come to Fuuga someday. If he does, can you make sure Mundok takes him in?” She asked with pleading eyes.

Breaking the glare contest with Jaeha, Hak looked Shin-ah over. “You do realize Gramps can’t turn any kid away, right? I’m more likely to wake up one day with a new brother, not have to convince him. But how much will we all remember when we’re awake?”

“This is important, the stuff with Shin-ah-Sei-chan, so of course we’ll remember that! It’s about Ou-chan that might not stick awake.” Yona asserted stubbornly.

* * *

The boy who currently bore the power of Seiryuu, named Shin-ah by the girl in his dreams, reluctantly awoke. He could still feel the warmth of being surrounded by people, people who didn’t seem scared of him, or try and make him take his mask off. He couldn’t remember everything they talked about this time, but he remembered to look for the yellow dragon to come, and how to find the others. Still huddled in his blanket cocoon, he mouthed his name, the way the girl had told him to.

‘Shin-ah’


End file.
